Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, September 14, 1993 TAG: 9309140057
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
United Way of Roanoke Valley's ties to the Family Center YMCA in Northwest Roanoke are old ones.
The Family Center - founded as the William A. Hunton YMCA - was one of 12 agencies that benefited from United Way's first fund drive in 1924.
Separate from the larger, more prosperous Central YMCA in downtown Roanoke, the predominantly black Family Center was a product of racial segregation. Roanoke was one of a handful of Southern cities that had separate YMCAs established in the era of state-enforced segregation.
The separation troubled some, who viewed a blending of the two entities as way past due. For two decades, there was talk of a merger.
In 1988, it happened. The Family Center Y and the Central Y merged, though not physically. The two branches incorporated as YMCA of Roanoke Valley.
The Family Center depended on United Way for much of its funding - close to half every year. The Central Y was not a United Way member and raised its own money.
United Way agreed to continue funding the Family Center for five years after the merger - $75,000 each year. Central Y maintained its financial independence.
This year is the last of that five-year funding agreement.
Earlier this year, United Way officials met with YMCA leaders, who expressed a desire to continue in funding with United Way but with both of its branches rather than one, said Bob Kulinski, president of United Way of Roanoke Valley. In July, the Central YMCA joined the Family Center Y as a United Way partner agency.
Lewis Peery, secretary of the YMCA board of directors and member of the advisory board of the Family Center, was a member of the committee that oversaw the merger five years ago.
"I had a vision back then that both Y's really needed to be part of United Way because of services we rendered to the community, especially to minority kids in different areas of the city," Peery said. "But I felt then that it wasn't the time."
Why now, five years later?
"It just made sense for us to become a full partner and put our resources together to fund programs," said Cal Johnson, executive director of Roanoke YMCA. "Since we had just unified the two branches, [the five years] was a chance for us to test different programs and look at what the community needed. It was more of an incubation period."
Some had early concerns that the Family Center might lose crucial funding in the reshuffling of United Way funding to the Roanoke YMCA. Each of the two branches has its own operating budget. Both, though, fall under one corporate budget.
"What we've done is restructured," Johnson said. "That money was given in totality to Family Center for programs and operations. Now we're asking United Way to fund particular programs that both the Family Center and Central Y are doing."
Since the 1988 merger, the Y has become a more family-oriented organization, not merely a health and fitness center for men only, Johnson said. Women comprise 45 percent of membership, compared to 10 percent five years ago, he said.
"That brought more families to the Y," Johnson said. "We recognized their needs, and set out to become a major player in providing the kind of care to meet those needs."
Three years ago, the Y established "The Magic Place," an after-school, in-school child-care service. A program that started at one school is now in place at 12 schools, Johnson said.
The 2-year-old "Drop-In" program at the Family Center provides tutorial services, homework help and sports activities for about 50 children, he said.
Those programs suited well an area on which the United Way has placed high priority.
The United Way sets priorities to guide fund distribution. Agency programs are given a high, medium or low ranking.
Day care - for children and adults - is ranked as a high priority.
United Way has approved the Magic Place and Drop-In program for funding in the next fund allocation cycle. Two other Y programs - the "Parent's Place" and a youth sports program - are being considered for placement in a "possible funding" group of United Way-funded programs.
"Our partnership with United Way will help to expand these programs even more," Johnson said. "This marriage will be beneficial for the community."
United Way of Roanoke Valley will kick off its 1993 fund-raising campaign today with a "Day of Caring." Some 2,200 volunteers from more than 80 businesses, civic groups and organizations will devote time from noon Tuesday to noon Wednesday performing community service tasks for United Way-funded agencies.
by CNB